First, sorry about the double post.

I got into the handyman-remodel business on the advice of a contractor
friend. He was always complaining about the poor quality [licensed,
bonded and insured] professionals were putting out. Too many just
blow out jobs. Their work looks good (or not) to the homeowner, but is
trash underneath a veneer of some sort. I had pro's who wanted to
pour concrete on top the ground (to hell with frost lines and heave).
Bonds, licenses and insurance don't always guarantee quality for the
money.

There is the another side to the license, bonding and insurance issue:
Courts will allow homeowners to steal from those who are not licensed,
bonded and insured by refusing to hear cases in which they are
involved.

In the end, it's like your own health. You have to take an interest.
The uninsured, unlicensed worker may provide a bargain, while the
state authorized worker may be better at paying for his big fancy
truck. Or it may go the other way, and it often does. Truth be known,
you have more recourse against the individual operating without
gubermint permission than he does against you. You send L&I after
him, for example.